Porter arrested after viral complaint; railway launches drive against extortion at Howrah station
Howrah: Eastern Railway on Monday said it identified and arrested a porter at Howrah station and refunded the excess amount after an engineer's viral social-media post alleged that a group of porters had charged him ₹4,700 — nearly 21 times the usual fare — for carrying several pieces of luggage.
The complaint was uploaded on Facebook by Arunabha Mukherjee, who identified himself as an assistant engineer with a major construction firm. Mukherjee said he was travelling to Mumbai with his wife, four-month-old daughter, elderly mother and maid, and had seven trolley bags and four hand-luggage pieces when the incident occurred around 5 am on Friday amid heavy rain.
According to the post reported by Eastern Railway, the porters at first refused to quote a fare and kept picking up the luggage. Mukherjee alleged that the group later demanded ₹6,000, then said ₹5,500, and finally he paid ₹4,700 — ₹3,000 through UPI and ₹1,700 in cash — after an alleged threat that the men would leave the luggage in the rain or throw it off the train if he did not comply.
"It was raining heavily and the porter came to us and offered help. I asked them how much they would charge, but they kept picking up the luggage, saying they wouldn’t charge much. It was only midway that they said they wanted ₹5,500 and threatened to throw the luggage if we did not pay," Mukherjee wrote in the Facebook post, according to Eastern Railway.
Eastern Railway said the incident triggered an internal probe and a drive against extortion at Howrah station. The railway reported that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has already picked up multiple porters during the drive and arrested one individual identified in the complaint. The excess amount collected was refunded to the passenger, it added.
Mukherjee's post also contrasted the fare he paid at Howrah with the charge at his destination; he said he had to pay only ₹800 to a porter at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai for handling the same luggage, according to the social-media screenshots he shared that were cited by the railway.
- Complaint origin: Viral Facebook post by passenger (Arunabha Mukherjee).
- Alleged amount demanded: ₹6,000 initially, later ₹5,500; passenger paid ₹4,700 (₹3,000 UPI, ₹1,700 cash).
- Action taken: RPF identified and arrested one porter; multiple porters picked up during a drive; excess refunded.
The episode has drawn attention to porter services at major stations and the vulnerability of passengers arriving under inclement weather or with infants and elderly relatives. Eastern Railway's statement emphasised swift action after the viral post and said an anti-extortion drive at Howrah station is ongoing.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Initial demand (alleged) | ₹6,000 |
| Later quoted (alleged) | ₹5,500 |
| Amount paid by passenger | ₹4,700 (₹3,000 UPI + ₹1,700 cash) |
| Porter charge at CSMT (passenger's claim) | ₹800 |
Local commuter groups and frequent travellers in Howrah have long sought better regulation of porter services and clearer fare charts displayed prominently at station entrances. The railway's announcement of arrests and refunds will be watched by residents who rely on station helpers, particularly those carrying heavy or numerous items.
Eastern Railway did not provide further details about subsequent disciplinary or legal proceedings against the arrested porter or the other individuals picked up during the drive. The RPF operation at Howrah continues as the railway seeks to curb incidents of alleged extortion and ensure passenger safety and convenience.
